How would you go about making a tapered reamer to ream the holes for tuning pegs for violins, dulcimers, etc? Thanks in advance...bart

You can probably buy one. I have a lot of tapered reamers in one of my drawers in the shop. PM me a size that you need and I'll check if I have it.

If you REALLY want to make your own taper a flat bar of med to high C steel to the desired degree. Attach a handle and sharpen the edges.

You'll want to use relatively thick flat so it can act as a guide which means grinding relief in the edges and still leave enough as a guide.

A little finicky but not particularly hard.

I'd buy one myself.

Frosty

An easy way to make a tapered reamer is to make it like a D Bit. Turn or form the taper you want and then grind one side away till you reach the diameter and hone flat.

A fulfilling operation to make your own but I would just buy a Taper Pin Reamer.

I recommend:

International Violin Company
1421 Clarkview Rd Baltimore MD 21209
Tel: (410) 832-2525

Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm
Web: www.internationalviolin..

Thanks a bunch, guys! I want to make an Appalachian/mountain dulcimer in the traditional style with wooden tuning pegs. I COULD buy a reamer...but I really want to make my own. Why? Just to see if I can. thanks again...bart

ps...will post pictures if/when it works out.

Make one just because you can? My gosh, that's unheard of man!

Now stop that immediately and go buy one!

Frosty

Take a peg saw a slot in it.cut the side of the slot down half the depth of the slot. Insert a hunk of a busted hand saw blade so it sets flush with the surface of the taper on the peg . Drill, ream.
Finnr

PS I build dulcimers and am WAY too cheap to buy areamer

Take a peg saw a slot in it.cut the side of the slot down half the depth of the slot. Insert a hunk of a busted hand saw blade so it sets flush with the surface of the taper on the peg . Drill, ream.
Finnr

PS I build dulcimers and am WAY too cheap to buy areamer

Problem is, I want to make my own pegs. (Which came first the chicken, er, the peg or the reamer?) As I understand it, you make/buy/borrow a reamer, use the reamer to make a peg shaver then turn/whittle the pegs a little oversize and shave to final size for a "perfect"(?) fit in the reamed hole. No experience doing this, but I have been doing a lot of reading...does this sound reasonable?? thanks again for all the knowlege and support from the guys on this site...bart

I have no experience making musical instruments but it's typically easier to measure an external surface rather than a tapered hole. Subsequently, I'd make the reamer to make the hole, then turn the pegs to fit the hole. You can charcoal the pegs to act like machinist's bluing to assist in getting a tight fit.

The web site that I provided above has various reamers and peg shavers for various violins, dulcimers, etc type stringed instruments and various sizes of those instruments. While you are planning to make your own tools, looking at what the professionals use may give you some ideas, and allow you to reverse engineer them.

Pegs and their matching tapered holes in instruments such as violins, require precision in order for the pegs to turn easily yet stay exactly and precisely where desired. If the holes and pegs are not precision tapered and matching, then the instrument in my humble experience will not stay in tune. Sort of like using a hammer of which the head of the hammer is constantly falling off. People also like to be able to purchase replacement pegs from local stores that fit standard holes in their instruments.

Edited July 4, 200916 yr by UnicornForge